Control mechanism for change-speed gearing.



l H; THOMAS. 'CONTROL MEGHANISM FOR CHANGE SPEED GEARING. A-PPLIOATIONFILED Nov. s, 1909. Y 1,002,188. Patented Aug. 29, 1911 A 4 zslums-SHEET 1'.

LPPLIOATION FILED Nov.A 1909.

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Pateted Aug.

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HORACE T. THOMAS, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 REO MOTOR CARCOMPANY,'

OF LANSING, MICHIGAN', A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CHANGE-SPEED GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug'. 29, 1911 Applicationfilled November 8, 1909. Serial No. 526,698.

To al? whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE T. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lansing, county ofIngham, State of Michigan, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Control Mechanism for ChangeSpeedGearing, anddeclare the following to be a full, clear, and eXactdescription of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an operating device for a change speed gear ofthe selective type, and the object of my invention is to provide animproved operating device for this type of gear as used on automobiles.I accomplish this object in the device shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which- Figure l, is a side elevation of a portion of theside piece of an automobile chassis, with the controlling lever or'device embodying my invention attached thereto, showing the same lockedby a padlock which is represented by dotted lines. Fig. 2, is asectional elevation of same.' Fig. 3, is a detail eleva.- tion of thesupporting bracket and guide plate. Fig'. 4, is a section on the line4-4, Fig. 3, looking from the right of the latter ligure. Fig. 5, is aface view ofthe forging by which the controlling lever is united to theshaft carrying the shifting arm. Fig. 6, 1s an end view of the partsshown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7, is a section on the line 7-7, Fig. 3

looking downward so as to show the con-- This operation of Ithe arm B isthat ordi-y narily seen in the selective type of change speed gears andis therefore not fully illustrated and described inasmuch as it is wellunderstood by those conversant with the art.

C is a forging adapted to be keyed on the outer end of the shaft A.

C is a cylindrical cross piece on the forging C, extending horizontallyacross the same and adapted to support a pin Cr which passes through C Cprotruding from each end thereof.

y D is a hardened guide-point upon vthe lower end of a projection orlinger from the forging C.

E is a sleeve surrounding the shaft A and bearing in the side piece g ofthe chassis and a stationary bearing f. The sleeveE carries an arm d byywhich the brake is manipulated. From the outer end of the sleeve Eextends a semi-tubular portion F which reaches over the forging C and ispivoted at its outer end upon a trunnion or fixed pivot C2 in line withthe shaft A.

N is a bracket having two upwardly eX-' tending branches, as indicatedmost distinctly in Fig. 3, which bracket is secured to the side piece gof the chassis and surrounds the shaftvA and serves as a bearing for theextension F from the sleeve E. The bracket N supports the fixed pivot C2upon whichthe outer end of the extension F is pivoted. A quadrantextends between the upper end ofthe branches of the bracket N, asindicated in Fig. 1. This quadrant has two grooves J and K, in thelatter of which works the brake lever L which is secured at its lowerend to the extension F from the sleeve E. A

H is the controlling lever of the change speed gear. Said lever isprovided with a yoke N at its lower end (Fig. 1), the branches of whichare secured upon the protruding ends of the bolt, or shaft G, topivotally secure said lever. The lever H 1s formed at h into curvedsurfaces?v or bulge portions which contact the sides of. the groove J(Fig. 2) to facilitate the turning of the shaft about a point in thisgroove when it is moved in a plane `passing through the axis of theshaft A. Thus it will be seen that the lever H is adapted to move in twodirections, one parallel to the motion of the lever L by which the shaftA is turned about ,its axis and thearm B caused to move one of the otherparts of the change speed gear.

The other motion of the lever H moves the shaft A longitudinally of saidshaft and causes the arm B to engage one or the other of the actuatingparts of the change speed gear.

'R' and Q, (Fig. 7). are lugs upon the upper surface of the guide plateP which is supported by the bracket N. These lugs in conjunction withthe other indicated formations of the surface of said guide plate form Ithe two grooves S and T and the gate c or gate which joins the middleportions of the grooves S and T.- The hardened pointer D moves in thegrooves S, T and gate c according tothe position and movement of thelever For instance if the handle of the lever H is drawn toward thechassis. the shaft A is moved outward and the pointer D-moves into thegroove T, at which posit-ion the handle of the lever H may be movedparallel to the side piece g of the chassis` the pointer D moving fromend to end of the groove T to rock the shaft A and actuate the selectedpart ofthe change speed gear by the lever arm B. Now if the leverrocking the shaft A. When the lever arm H is returned to its centralposition andl again moved to the position shown 1n Fig. 2, the

pointer D will come between the lugs Q and R and such lugs will preventthe rotation of the shaft A and hold the actuating mechanism in itsneutral position.

a, a are apertures formed through the I guide plate P adjacent to theends of the gate 0.

b is a lug extending downward from the guide plate P and provided withan aperture which extends through said lug. A forked lockingplate tml(Fig. 8) may be inserted in position when the pointer D is in its lastdescribed position, the spindles of said' locking plate extendingthrough the apertures a, a and preventing the pointer D from moving outof the groove c.'

n is a perforated lug formed in the locking plate mand adapted to comeadjacent to and register-with the lug b. The hasp of a padlock as shownby the dotted lines in Fig. 1 may be passed through the apertures of thelugs b and fn, when the locking plate is 1n osition as indicated in Fig.1, to hold sai plate in its adjusted position and securely lockingthecontrolling lever in its neutral position.

1. A gear control Idevice, having in com-` bination a shaft adapted toturn and reciprocate in the direction of its length, a ,controlv leverpivoted to said shaft so as to be capable of turning in a plane parallelto the axis of said shaft, said lever being adapted to turn at a pointmidway its length. in said guide in a plane at right angles to saidguide, a guide plate provided with grooves supported opposite saidguide, said lever being provided with a finger extending into saidgrooves, a sleeve surrounding said shaft provided with an actuating armand extending beyond said lever, a fixed pivot supported by said guideplate in line with said firstmentioned shaft and fixed pivot, saidsleeve bearing on said shaft, and a' brake lever on said sleeve outsideofthe control lever,l substantially as described.

2. In a device for the purpose described, the combination of a shaftadapted to turn and reciprocate, a control lever adapted to `reciprocateand turn said shaft, a brake lever on the outside of said control leverhaving a sleeve oscillating on said shaft adapted to operate the brakemechanism, a guide for saidllevers adapted to fulcrum the control leverin reciprocating the shaft and a guide adapted to confine the controllever to any one of several paths of movement in turning said shaftandto allow it to oscillate in reciprocating said shaft, substantiallyas described.

3. In a device for the purpose described, the combination of a shaftadapted to turn and reciprocate a control lever adapted to reciprocateand turn said shaft, a brake lever having a sleeve oscillatin 'on saidshaft adapted-to operatethe bra e mechanism, a guide above said shaftadapted to constrain the levers in lturning movement and to fulcrum thecontrol lever in movement adapted to reciprocate the shaft, a

finger depending from said shaft and a guide engaging said finger andadapted thereby to conne the shaft to any one of several planes ofmotion, substantially yas described.

4. In a gear control device, thecoinbination of a shaft reciprocablelengthwise and lll ported by said over-reaching part on said fixedpivot, a` brake lever attached to the sleeve portion rotatable on saidfixedI pivot' and a finger attached-to said shaft and engaglng in saidguide plate, substantiallyas.A

descrlbed.

' 5. In' a device for the purpose described,

the combination of a shaft adapted to reciprocate lengthwise and toturn, a finger'k rigidly attached thereto, a control lever terminatingin a yoke and having a rotatable pin passing through said finger, aguide adapted to confine said lever and act as a fulcrum therefor, aguide plate below saidshaft in which said finger is adapted to travel, asleeve rotatable on said shaft and passing through said lever yoketerminal and a brake lever attached to the terminal of4 said sleeve,substantially as described.l

6. In a device for'the purpose described, the combination of'a shaftadapted to turn and reciprocate, a control lever adapted to turn andreciprocate said shaft, asleeve adapted to control the brake mechanism,said sleeve rotatable on said shaft and reaching beyond to the outsideof said control lever, and a brake lever attached to said sleeve andlocated on the outside of said control lever, substantially asdescribed.

7. ln a device for the purpose described, the combination of ashaftadapted to turn and reciprocate, a controllever, adapted to turn andreciprocate said shaft, a sleeve adapted to control the brake mechanism,the said sleeve being rotatable on said shaft and reaching beyond to theoutside of the control lever, a brakelever attached to said sleeve andlocated on the outside of said control leverz a 'nger fixed to saidshaft and depending therefrom, and a guide plate for said finger,substantially as described.

8. The combination of a reciprocatory and` spindles adapted to be passedthrough said apertures, an apertured lug connected thereto, anaperturedlug on said guideplate with which the apertured lug of the lockingdevice is adapted to register, and a padlock having a hasp adapted topass through said registered apertures, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, ll sign this specifi# cation in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

HORACE T. THOMAS.

Witnesses: GEORGE W. Hnwrr'r, DEAN M. PARsoNs.

